Woman who called 911 talks about day Baldwin officer accidentally shot sergeant

A Baldwin Borough woman defends the man who police say they came to protect her from, on the day one police officer shot another.

The preliminary hearing for Bryan Lijewski, 30, was postponed Tuesday, because officers involved in his case could not attend. Baldwin police Sgt. Ralph Miller was shot by another officer while responding to a 911 call by Lijewski's girlfriend, Prudence Bruce, last month.

Outside the courtroom Bruce defended the father of her child. "He loves his kids very much. He would never do anything, it was just a bad incident," Bruce said while carrying their toddler in her arms. Inside the courtroom, Lijewski waved to his little girl as he was led back to jail.

Lijewski turned himself in last week. "I am sorry for the incident that happened. Sorry that that officer was injured. It was never my intent to have anybody hurt," Lijewski said.

Chief Michael Scott said Sgt. Ralph Miller was shot in the lower back while responding to a 911 call to Lijewski's home on Elmwood Drive at about 3:45 a.m. on Feb. 10. (SLIDESHOW: Photos from the shooting scene)

Scott said Bruce called 911 to report that her boyfriend had a loaded gun and that she feared for her life and the lives of her children. When officers arrived, Scott said, a man answered the door and refused to let them talk to the woman who called for help.

"They could see the woman in the background holding a child and the sergeant told him we need to be able to see her and we need to see your hands. He started closing the door. Apparently one of the officers put his foot in the door and Sgt. Miller put his shoulder in the door to try to force that door open. That's when this discharge came about," Scott said.

Scott said Miller was shot in the back, then a third officer fired. "When he came around he saw Officer Miller down, he saw the second officer over top of that officer and also believed him to be hit. He also saw through the window someone advancing toward their position, which he thought was the person that shot both those officers," Scott said. The chief said that officer's bullet hit the house.

Police are not confirming the name of the officers who fired the shots.

Miller, whose son is a Homestead police officer, underwent several surgeries. A blood drive is being held for Miller between noon and 6 p.m. on Tuesday March 12th, at the Baldwin Municipal Building.

Bruce left the courtroom with a message for the father of her children. Bruce said she wanted Lijewski to know "that I love him and that the kids miss him."

Lijewski is scheduled to be back in court in April. He is charged with simple assault, endangering the welfare of children, recklessly endangering another person, possession of a controlled substance and possession of a firearm.

Lljewski had been previously convicted burglary, which prohibits him from possessing a gun. Lljewski was placed in the Allegheny County Jail in lieu of $25,000 bail.